Distortion of sound in your ears, what is it anyway? There are several conditions that can cause this, such as distortion, hyperacusis, tinnitus and diplacusis. In this article, we cover these conditions, their causes and their possible solutions.
How does a distortion of sound enter your ears?
Distortion of sound in your ears can be hearing damage due to natural wear and tear, but can also be damaged by too much exposure to (loud) sounds.
As low as 80 decibels, noise can be harmful. The cilia become overloaded and damaged. This can happen with a lot of sound pressure all at once, but can also happen if you are present too often or for long periods of time in an environment with loud noise.
When the cilia are damaged they transmit less information, making you perceive sounds worse, or they transmit wrong information, as in tinnitus. This can be a squeak or a noise, but it can also be whole orchestras! The familiar ringing in your ears after going out or attending a concert is a first sign of hearing damage.
You can also become hypersensitive to certain sounds. We call this hyperacusis. Other forms of hearing damage include distortion, the distorted hearing of sounds, and diplacusis, the different hearing of sounds in both ears.
Distortion
Distortion is a condition in which you temporarily or permanently perceive sounds distorted. This can involve both pitch and duration. With distortion, a greatly different sensitivity between the left and right ear occurs. In rooms with a lot of background noise, people with distortion have difficulty distinguishing specific sounds. Conversations become difficult to follow as a result. For musicians, it is very difficult because playing together is hindered.
Do your hearing symptoms resemble distortion? Then make an appointment for a hearing test. After this hearing test, the hearing specialists at Horend Goed can tell you further about your options.
Hyperacusis
Hyperacusis is experiencing sounds as very strong, unpleasant or even painful. In people with hyperacusis, their tolerance to sound is decreased. Hyperacusis basically means, I hear too much. It is a hypersensitivity to sound. People experience ordinary sounds as unpleasantly loud, sometimes even painful. Hyperacusis often accompanies tinnitus. Hyperacusis can have several causes. Often it comes from hearing damage caused by noise. It is also common in Ménière’ s disease.
Hyperacusis is very tiring and causes stress. Acquired stress can increase the hypersensitivity even more.
Do you have hearing problems similar to hyperacusis? Make an appointment with one of our hearing specialists. After a hearing test, we will be happy to tell you what solutions are available.
Diplacusis
Diplacusis occurs when in duration or pitch one sound is heard as two sounds. There is an abnormal perception of sound in the inner ear that distorts hearing. Depending on the way sound is perceived in the individual ears, diplacusis, monauralis, diplacusis binauralis, diplacusis dysharmonica and diplacusis echoica exist.
The symptoms of diplacusis depend on the type of disorder. In the case of diplacusis monauralis, one sound is perceived as two sounds in the same ear. In diplacusis binauralis, one sound is perceived differently by both ears. Diplacusis dysharmonica means that one sound is heard at two different pitches, and in the case of diplacusis echoica, the same sound is repeated in the affected ear. With diplacusis due to Ménière’s disease, other symptoms may also occur, such as dizziness, hearing loss, a full feeling in the ears and tinnitus.
Do you suffer from distortion of sound in your ears due to tinnitus, hyperacusis, diplacusis or distortion? If so, Horend Goed is happy to cooperate with an audiological center. You can always first contact Horend Goed for a free hearing test. We will gladly explain what possibilities there are for you.
How do I prevent hearing damage and distortion?
Of course, prevention is always better than cure, so always pay attention to how loud the noise is that you are in and, if necessary, wear the right hearing protection. You can find these in our webshop.
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Customized hearing protection
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